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Not all mammals got to hang on the cute and cuddly branch of the family tree but that doesn’t mean they’re not still kin.

Steph at WebEcoist found seven really strange mammals that barely seem to fit the mold and some of which are barely hanging on, so can we get a few conservation campaigns going for the ugly cousins?

Wrinkle-faced bat (above)

The strange, complex wrinkled faces of this particular bat species (Centurio senex) have a number of functions you might not expect. The flaps of skin, which are more pronounced on males than females, contain storage pouches to hold fruit. The males have extra flaps containing scent glands that help them attract mates. The unusual shape of their skulls produces bite forces up to 20% higher than other bats of a similar size, so they can eat tougher fruit. The wrinkle-faced bat is technically classed as a leaf-nose bat, but doesn’t have a leaf nose.

Saiga Antelope

Critically endangered, the saga antelope once inhabited a vast area of the Eurasian steppe zone, but is now found only in one location in Russia. It bears a highly distinctive face with an oversized, flexible tube-shaped nose that hangs down over its mouth. Less than 20 years ago, its population was over one million, so wildlife groups like World Wildlife Federation actually encouraged hunters to target them rather than rhinos for their horns. Intense poaching paired with the collapse of the Soviet Union caused their numbers to drop drastically in a very short period of time.

Full story at WebEcoist.

Unusual animals.

Photo credits: encyclopedia of life, mark herpel